Personnel Index - Detail

Name
COTTAM
First Names
Henry Atkin
Rank
LAC
Service
RAF
Service Number
942733
Crew Position
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner
Posting In
Posted in 7/40

 

LAC Cottam flew one Hampden minelaying operation on the 8th July 1940.



Image courtesy of Jane Jones

We believe that Henry was killed in a flying boat incident on the 7th of May 1941 when a Catalina, serial AH536, of 240 Squadron crashed on Lough Erne, Ireland.
Details are sparse but it is recorded that........
"Landed at 04.30 without flares, crashed and sank at Lough Erne".



His body was never found and he is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.

Interestingly, Catalinas from Ireland were searching for the Bismark around this time and it could just be that this was their operation. It was from Castle Archdale that Catalina Z of 209 Squadron sighted the German Battleship Bismarck on 26th May 1941.



The actual aircraft that finally spotted the Bismark

Information received from Jane Jones, Colin Cripps & Ed Norman.